ANNANDALE-ON-HUDSON — The Bard College men's basketball team could not withstand a strong second-half start by RIT, as the Raptors fell 83–66 on Saturday afternoon at the Stevenson Athletic Center. 

RIT built a 36–27 lead in the first half and then extended its advantage after halftime, outscoring Bard 47–39 in the second stanza. Bard was paced by Max Frei, who contributed 16 points and knocked down 10-of-11 free throws. Azikiwe Cuffy-Scott contributed with 12 points (5-of-6 FG), tying his career-high. He added five rebounds and a steal with no turnovers.  

Jalen Umstead and Klaudius Skehel scored seven points each, with Umstead grabbing five rebounds, while Sam Gibbs scored six points off the bench. 

Overall, shooting was a problem for Bard, which made just 39.2% of its field goals (20-of-51) and 31.8% of threes (7-of-22), though it hit a respectable 76.0% at the line (19-of-25). The Raptors scored 24 points in the paint, had 14 fast-break points, but generated only 11 points off turnovers; the bench contributed 32 points. 

RIT took better advantage of the rim and the line, going 16-of-26 from the free throw line while forcing 18 Bard turnovers and converting many of them into points. The first half was competitive: Bard trailed only 36–27 at halftime. But in the second half, RIT pulled away — outscoring Bard 47–39 as the Tigers shot better, strong free-throw conversions, and efficient offensive execution. 

Bard will host RPI next Saturday at 4 p.m. for their last home game in 2025.